Read My Mind
by gold-apropos
Summary: A songfic based on Reba McEntire's song Read My Mind. Harry and Ginny attend a Ball.


Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I doubt I would be writing fluff songfics if I did, but you never know.  
  
It was the last Ball of his final year at Hogwarts and he was with me. The only way I could explain it was that Harry didn't really want to attend but Ron had forced him. I also suspect that Ron had made Harry ask me because I didn't have anyone to go with. This condition was actually fine by me, I hated dances; all those awkward moments, no one knowing how to dance, having ones feet trodden on . . .uhck! No, if it were up to me I would have been up in my dormitory eating snacks I'd skived from the kitchen, but then Ron opened his big mouth. So here I was sitting doing nothing with the silence stretching so thick you could spread it on bread. Suddenly as though finally realizing the silence, Harry cleared his throat and mumbled "A Knut for your thoughts."  
  
A penny for my thoughts you say You want to know what I could be thinking  
  
What could I say to that? I wish I wasn't here, I hate being asked out of pity, I wish you really asked me to the dance because you like me, I love you. Clearly none of these would work, but it's hard to scramble for an answer when you're thinking twenty different things.  
"I was just thinking how much I like dancing." What?! You're an  
idiot, that doesn't sound like a hint at all, especially with a slow  
dance playing!  
"Oh." That was it, with one sentence I had ruined everything. Say something! "What I mean is—"  
  
But as I speak the music starts to play  
  
And the words just somehow slip away  
  
"Gin, do you want to dance?" Yes, yes, yes! "Unh." Real smooth, you would think English was my second language or something . . .  
"Is that a yes or no?"  
"That's a yes, I mean you don't have to dance with me, I know you really don't want to, I—"  
"Gin, I did ask you, remember?"  
"To the Ball, or to dance?"  
"Both."  
"Well yeah, but I know you just asked because Ron told you to, and you don't have to feel obligated in any way."  
"Gin, if you don't want to dance a simple no would suffice."  
  
Read my mind It will tell you that I love you and You're all I ever wanted in a man You'd see how I feel What my head won't let my heart reveal If only you could Read my mind, Read my mind  
  
"Well, I want to if you do."  
"Ok then its settled, we wont."  
"What?!"  
"Just kidding. Like I said I wouldn't have asked you if I didn't want to." Again, with that, does he mean the Ball or the dance? Either way, I guess it didn't matter, after all I was dancing with him and even if that was all he meant it was more than I had ever hoped for. I'd been in love with him for six years and I had the greatest fear it would continue until, dramatically enough, forever. Even with everything going on, all the deaths and the war against Tom and eventually his final death, I still loved him. I loved him more still when he despised himself for what he thought of as murdering all of those who had died, when really everyone knew it wasn't his fault. I had even become a better friend to him throughout the years. This was due mostly to the fact that I could talk more after the department of mysteries, because when you've shared something like that you have a right to talk. More than that though, Harry needed all the comfort he could get, and me being shy wasn't going to help him. Then in their seventh year Ron and Hermione had become a couple and Harry sort of turned into the third wheel, even though Ron and Hermione never meant him to be. What with them being a couple, I was the only one left for him to talk to, and boy was I willing. Now look at me, school was almost over and I was ruining the friendship we had, basically breaking all the connections I had tried so hard to build. To give me credit it was hard to think and say two different things at the same time. Anyone who has ever had a secret crush knows this, but I had managed, until now. Oh, what did it matter anyway? After this year Harry would probably go his way and I would hardly ever see him. I may as well enjoy what I have now, before he's completely gone. "It looks like your going to be making a lot of money."  
"What?"  
"If I have to keep paying you for your thoughts you'll be the richest Witch in the world." He smiled at this and for the first time all night I dared to look up at him. This of course was the wrong thing to do, because as soon as I did our eyes locked and my face burst into flame.  
  
One look from you and look at me I'm trembling like a little girl I tell myself if I can just believe  
  
Any day now you'll fall in love with me  
  
"Seriously, what are you thinking about, you keep getting this far away look and then you smile like we just won the house cup." If he only knew, I don't think the house cup even comes close.  
  
Read my mind It will tell you that I love you and You're all I ever wanted in a man You'd see how I feel What my head won't let my heart reveal If only you could Read my mind  
  
"Oh, I was actually thinking of what it will be like after I leave Hogwarts." Well, it was better than nothing.  
"It would make you that happy to leave?"  
"Well, that and everything that comes after."  
"Personally I hate to leave here, its always kind of felt like home, the only one I've known, aside from the Burrow."  
"Well, you may lose Hogwarts, but at least you can count on always being welcome to the Burrow. I mean you're practically family, we all just consider you one more brother or son."  
"I don't think I like that."  
"Being a member of our family?"  
"No. Being your brother."  
"Not a good enough sister am I?"  
"No, it's just that I couldn't ever really go to a ball and dance with my sister." What was that supposed to mean? I know I'm female so I over analyze, but that was just begging to be examined.  
  
Tell me if you feel The same way I do  
  
Could it be he would ever consider me more than a sister? Clearly from his last statement yes, but as what? Just a friend? Something more, something less? Could he actually return my feelings?  
  
Oh and tell me That I'm not mistakenly taken with you  
  
You're all I ever wanted in a man You see all I need Is everything you are to me  
  
But if he did, surely he would have said something by now. I mean it's not as if I haven't dropped any hints.  
"What do you mean by that?"  
"It means what it means. Gin, I need to talk to you about something. Could we go for a walk on the grounds?"  
"Sure, that's fine." Was he kidding, if he asked me to go with him to Jupiter I would, even with all of those mice.  
  
If you could somehow Read my mind  
  
He led me out across the grounds to the lake. The moon was shining and the lake resembled glass, really the perfect setting, even the wind was lightly blowing. Perfect, except that I was with a friend instead of a guy who actually liked me that way. More awkward silence started, suddenly I couldn't hold it in any more and just started laughing.  
"What's so funny?"  
"I . . .just can't . . .stand gasp . . .awkward silence. It just seems . . .too funny." Harry grinned and let out a chuckle, "I guess it is kind of silly for there to be awkward silence between you and me. I mean we are practically best friends." Cold water to the face. I guess it was no more than the truth, but it still hurt.  
"Anyway, what did you want to talk about?"  
"Oh, well . . . umm." Harry had his back now turned to me.  
"Harry whatever it is you can tell me. Like you said we are best friends and best friends can say whatever they want, within reason of course." Still nothing from Harry. Oh well I guess we could just go back in to the—  
"I love you Ginny."  
"Come again?" Harry finally turned around and looked me in the eyes. "I said I love you Gin."  
"But why, how, when?" Harry chuckled. "I've loved you ever since my sixth year. I just couldn't ever tell you. I thought that if I admitted how much I loved you then Voldemort would find out and hurt you. You were already at enough risk, let alone if he found out. I couldn't let that happen, it would have killed me. Plus, of course, this was a great excuse to myself and others when I wanted to tell you and couldn't find the courage. After Voldemort was destroyed I knew I could tell you then, but I still couldn't. That's when Ron stepped in and told me that I had to before the year was over or I'd never get the chance. I knew he was right, but I still couldn't do it, so instead he set up this whole 'asking you to the Ball' scenario so I would have the chance."  
"You have kept this a secret for this long? You're an even better actor than I am."  
"Ok, now I have to be the one to ask, what do you mean by that?"  
"It means what it means," I said mockingly.  
  
You would see what I can't seem to say If only you could, Oh if you would Read my mind,  
  
Read my mind  
  
"Ginny . . ."  
"Oh, alright. It means that I have loved you for six years and that I will continue to love you forever." With those words Harry smiled, leaned down, and kissed me.  
  
I guess Balls are better than I thought they were. 


End file.
